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Kat Nichols is a youth soccer coach that you probably have a lot in common with.

She understands what it’s like to meticulously plan a practice and then have three or four players not show up. She knows what it’s like to communicate openly and honestly with parents about their children. And she, like you, is always on the hunt for high-quality coaching education.

It’s difficult to wrap your head around how much Dr. Joe Machnik has done over the course of his career. He is an iconic American soccer figure with experience as a player, coach, referee, and broadcaster. So it’s only fitting that this conversation with Dr. Joe touches on so many topics. He shares stories about the state of soccer in the late ...…

Michael Prunty is a college and high school soccer coach from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He found 3four3 around the same time that I did. (We both estimated 2009.) Over the years, Michael and I have exchanged messages and Tweeted back and forth. But this conversation you’re about to hear is the first time we actually spoke to each other. You’re going ...…

Mike Woitalla is the Executive Editor of Soccer America. He is also a coach, referee, and soccer dad. I wanted to know more about the man behind some of the most powerful articles written about American soccer. And Mike was happy to answer all of my questions and share some of his incredible stories. In this episode, we discuss: One of his firs ...…

Tommy Hodul is a soccer writer, podcast host, press officer, fan, and all around great guy. He is also extremely passionate about growing soccer in his community – the City of Oakland. And that is why he a key member of Oakland Roots. The Oakland Roots website provides this explanation of who they are and what they’re about: It starts with… Oak ...…

This episode with John Kokkoris is one of my favorites. Why? Because of the language he uses. But I’m not talking about cussing or anything like that. I’m talking about the way he describes different actions and moments of the game. He sounds completely different than the typical American soccer coach. It really impressed me. He’s from New York ...…

Bobby Mohr is a fantastic storyteller. Not made up stories. Stories that he lived and breathed while being a member of the U.S. Youth National Team. A member of the team that is often forgotten about. Bobby is a former U.S. Youth National Team equipment manager. One of the stories on his personal blog caught my attention. And that is why I reac ...…

Stevie Grieve is the Head of Coaching at Burlington Soccer in Ontario, Canada. He is also an analyst, coaching educator, and designer of the Tactical Teacher program which you can find by visiting onsidesoccerconsulting.com. His coaching experience is scattered throughout the world. We unexpectedly spent a big chunk of time talking about what h ...…

Nick Rizzo is the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Monmouth College. He is a part-time triathlete, professional Google-er, and eternal optimist. He’s also the co-host of the @chatsoccr podcast. I’ve had my eye on his weekly #soccerchat’s and finally decided to reach out to him and ask if he would be interested in being a guest on this show. He coun ...…

Joe Campos is the founder of Eagleclaw Football Club and The Eagleclaw Foundation and has trained and coached Eagleclaw players since 2009. He is from Madrid, Spain, where he learned the game, and played in Spain and Turkey. The Seattle soccer scene was not impressing Joe. In fact, it was frustrating him. So he decided to offer a different expe ...…

This episode is a reading of the article Possession Soccer: What Does It Take? The article was written by Gary Kleiban and originally published on 3four3. Possession Soccer: What does it take? This post is my response to an observation made by one of our readers, CarlosT from the Sounder At Heart blog. In his comment to our possession article, ...…

Ciara McCormack is a retired international footballer with experience in multiple countries including Canada, Australia, and the United States. She wrote and published a story about an issue happening in Australian soccer that caught my attention. So, I asked if she would be interested in discussing it with me and she said yes. And I did not an ...…

How did a kid from Hoover, Alabama end up signing a contract with Bayern Munich? That’s what I wanted to find out during my conversation with Ken Richards. His son, Chris, is one of the most talked about young American players. And rightfully so. But his journey to Germany was anything but easy. During this conversation, Ken talks about: His ow ...…

Bella Ballard is a 13-year-old soccer player from Hawaii. She spends the majority of her time in Southern California with her father Joe. That is also where she trains and plays with other kids and adults who are pushing themselves to the limits. And it is also where I first met Bella. Bella was eight when she attended one of our 3four3 player ...…

Jared Embick became the head coach of The University of Akron men s soccer program in December of 2012. Since joining the program as an assistant, Akron has the highest winning percentage in the nation. In 2018, Akron finished the year with its third trip to the College Cup Final under Embick. During this conversation, we discuss: His first men ...…

In 2018, Tracy became the second American woman to receive a UEFA A coaching license. When she first started looking for coaching education, she had no intention of looking for it in Europe. But USSF denied her to the course she originally applied for. And that forced her to seek out other options. In this episode, we discuss: Why she started l ...…

This episode is a conversation that I recorded with Gary Kleiban in December 2016. The topic we focus on is the phrase: It’s just a game.” We discussed what those words mean to us. We also talk about other people using that phrase to their advantage when its convenient for them to do so. I ve been recording my weekly conversations with Gary for ...…

Brianna Visalli knows a thing or two about what it takes to achieve a goal. Literally. And also what it takes to overcome adversity. As a young player growing up in Northern California’s Bay Area, she was never the biggest or strongest player. In fact, at just over five feet tall, she still isn’t the biggest or strongest. But from a young age, ...…

As a kid growing up in Southern California, Danny Califf didn’t have soccer mentors or the type of role models or idols like kids have today. He wasn’t able to watch videos of current national team stars training with former national team stars on YouTube or Instagram. He could barely watch them on TV. He had even fewer opportunities to watch t ...…

How fast? How tall? How strong? Oh yes, you know what I am talking about. The MLS Combine and the MLS SuperDraft. With the draft happening this week, Gary and I wanted to record our thoughts and provide a different perspective than the other media outlets. A perspective rooted in the first-hand experience. Not just from attending the combine an ...…

Joey Cascio is a good friend and colleague. Hopefully, you’ve heard him on this show before and know who he is, what he is all about, and why he determined to keep pushing forward in American soccer. If you haven’t heard our other chats, no worries, they are available in the write up of this podcast and you can find the links later. In 2018, Jo ...…

Zach Jonker is someone that I am excited to introduce you to. First and foremost, he’s a soccer guy that has been through many of the ups and downs that I have personally experienced. The same ups and downs that you too have probably experienced. He is from a rural area that has little access to the big gaming circuits. He coaches high school s ...…

Jason Broadwater is a youth soccer coach and brand new podcaster. After listening to, and learning from many others over the years, he saw an opportunity to join the conversation and highlight the work that he believes is good. This is a very similar approach that I took when I first started this podcast. So, I wanted to bring Jason on to discu ...…

“Tiffany Weimer Solves All American Coaching Education Problems After Completing C Course.” That’s the title I told her I was going to use for this episode. She laughed when I told her. I laughed when I typed it out. Tiffany and twenty others were recently part of a unique, and possibly first of its kind coaching education course that consisted ...…

Daniel Smith is a math teacher and high school soccer coach in North Carolina. Daniel is also an American soccer fan that has been keeping a close eye on the men’s national team program for almost two decades. In this conversation, we discuss: What soccer event captured his attention How to use youth national team selections to predict future s ...…

Chelsea Braun is a UCLA graduate and NCAA Division One national champion. She has had the opportunity to play for Jill Ellis, the current USWNT coach, and many others who are considered to be among the top female coaches in the country. After playing college soccer, Chelsea was faced with a big decision. Keep playing? Or find a real job? In thi ...…

A couple of years ago, Terry Ransbury came up with the idea of just listening to a rondo as it s happening. He observed that the exercise sounds different when you compare top, top-level players to new or beginner level players. At the top level, there is a unique popping sound when the ball is hit. A rhythm can be detected as you listen to the ...…

How do you want your team to play? Easy question, right? Well, yes and no. We’ve talked about it before on the podcast. Gary has written about it on the blog. It’s also been a topic of discussion at all three of our coaching summits. The question itself is simple. But the answers can be dissected and dissected again, and then dissected again. M ...…

Ken Bensinger is an investigative journalist and author of the book Red Card: How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World’s Biggest Sports Scandal. When describing Ken’s book, David Hirshey of The Wall Street Journal said it is “A gripping white-collar crime thriller that, in its scope and human drama, ranks with some of the best investigative b ...…

Gabe Kleinert is a youth and college coach in Philidelphia, PA. In addition to the club and college seasons, he also coaches with his regions Olympic Development Program (ODP). During this episode, Gabe explains his role in the ODP and shares some valuable insight as to what players and parents should know about the process. We also discuss: Co ...…

With Christian Lavers permission, I decided to read his article, “Closing the gap between curriculum and methodology: A necessity for development.” The article was originally published on Soccer America. Credit to Paul Kennedy and the crew over there for some fantastic work over the years. In addition to checking out Christian’s article, you ca ...…

Javier Ayala is the Head Coach at San Francisco State University and also Head Coach of the San Francisco Glens who will play in the new USL 2. Javier’s soccer journey started in one of the roughest parts of the Bay Area and took him all over the world. In this episode, you’ll him talk about: How he was first introduced to organized soccer. Try ...…

Originally published in 2011 by 3four3. How Much Time Does American Soccer Need? Written by Gary Kleiban. People like to believe time fixes problems. Yes. It s important, but only if spent doing the right things. Consistently do the wrong things , or simply not right enough , and no amount of time will EVER produce quality. Part of 3four3 is ab ...…

In his Twitter bio, Daniel Workman describes himself as a “Husband, Dad, Entrepreneur, Creative, and Footy Fanatic.” Combining all of those gets you a man on a mission to expose some of the cracks in American soccer, from top to bottom and back up to the top again. In this episode, Daniel discusses: When he first started to notice that somethin ...…

Kat Nichols is a youth soccer coach that you probably have a lot in common with. She understands what it’s like to meticulously plan a practice and then have three or four players not show up. She knows what it’s like to communicate openly and honestly with parents about their children. And she, like you, is always on the hunt for high-quality ...…

Saul Isaksson-Hurst is a one-to-one football coach with experience working in Premier League academies. That makes his point of view a bit different than what we’re used to hearing over here in America. So I wanted to pick his brain about what he sees and how that has influenced his thoughts about the sport. Like usual, we touch on a bunch of r ...…

David Robertson is a youth soccer coach in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has earned his USSF A license and NSCAA Premier Diploma. He is also a 3four3 Founding Member. And you can bet your ass that we talk a little bit about the differences between those. I had been bugging David about getting him on the podcast for over a year and we finally found time ...…

Kephern Fuller is the founder of the non-profit Joga Soccer Club and currently spends half of his time in Europe helping and working with American players who are trying to make it abroad. Kephern is also the host of the Wanna Be Ballers podcast. On their show, Kephern, and his co-host James Myers expose listeners to a different perspective and ...…

This episode of the podcast is short but potent. The original article and comments can be seen here: Pay to Play and the Link to Promotion Relegation The copy is also here for you to read if you’d like. First, let s get something straight. Pay to play will always exist because there will always be a demand for such services. Not to mention serv ...…

“They didn’t like it.” That is a quote from Denise Rapinoe that really stuck with me. I’m sure this will be an easy exercise for you. Imagine two little girls running around a soccer field full of boys. Imagine the parents’ reactions when one of the girls takes the ball away, completes a great pass, or scores an amazing goal… against their sons ...…

Joey Cascio is now in the lead for most guest appearances on the #343podcast. And, rightfully so. Of all the youth coaches that I have had the privilege and pleasure of meeting, interviewing, and getting to know, Joey’s work continues to shine brighter than the pack and catch my eye, no matter where he finds himself coaching. In one of our freq ...…

Over the course of his career, Sebastian Salazar has worn many hats in American soccer. He started as a young fan of the brand new D.C. United. Eventually, he wound up working for the franchise. Other stops along the way included local regional sports networks where he quickly made a name for himself as the “soccer guy” in the room. Now, he’s a ...…

In this episode, I talk to Michael Perkins about some of his experiences as a coach, father, husband, teacher, and American soccer fan. During this hour-long chat, we talk about: The differences (and similarities) between the new ‘C’ and ‘B’ courses How not having a clue about soccer actually helped him when first started coaching Why players s ...…

Adelaide Gay (@AdelaideAGay on Twitter) is an American goalkeeper that is currently playing in Sweden. After stops at several NWSL teams and teams in other countries, she continues to explore new routes and push forward with her playing career. This conversation that I recorded with Adelaide covers her entire playing career and experiences as a ...…

Chris Seitz grew up playing soccer in the college town San Luis Obispo, CA. That is also where I currently call home. I grew up just thirty miles south of SLO. And it was at SLO High School where I actually scored a goal against Chris when we were younger. When we were growing up, club soccer hardly existed around here. Competitive games were v ...…

There are many different sides to the man known as Zack Goldman. To be honest, I was completely unprepared for how our conversation started out. Mostly because I didn’t even know that Zack was neck deep in so many different aspects of the sport. I think that helped our conversation, though. The idea to interview Zack first popped into my head a ...…

When I started this podcast, one of the goals was to tell stories about American soccer from a different angle. I’ve always wanted to help provide a new perspective. Because I truly believe that is where the most value lies. Some of you might remember listening to my interview with Christian Pulisic’s father, Mark. That interview happened durin ...…

Carmelina Moscato has been all around the world playing and learning about the game of soccer for most of her life. She played college soccer at Penn State. She won an Olympic Bronze medal with Canada. She has 94 caps for her country. She has played professionally on three continents. The list could go on and on. Carmelina retired from playing ...…

Matt Danaher (@mattdanaher on Twitter) is a soccer player and soccer coach. He isn’t, or maybe I should say wasn’t, a tech guy. Matt saw a void when it came to collecting, interpreting, and using data in soccer and decided to build an app called SoccerPulse to help solve the problem. In this interview, Matt talks about: His playing career and h ...…

It s always difficult for people to talk about the elephant in the room. No one wants to bring it up. No one wants to acknowledge it. But if the elephant in the room is race – it makes things even harder. Kai Edwards (@kaiedwards13 on Twitter) decided to take the challenge straight on and helped me have the type of conversation that we as a soc ...…

In August 2018, Christian Ramirez was traded from Minnesota United to LAFC. His playing career had come full circle and brought him back to where he was born. But his path to the top of American soccer was a wild one. He grew up in Southern California where he played as a center midfield throughout his youth career. It wasn’t until he arrived a ...…

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